Audioloom, a non-profit studio designed to give local acts a place to record for a song, needs help

, the recording studio that Brian Gerhard, Christopher Shumake and Greg Nichols have been building at 3430 Lawrence Street is nearly finished. A non-profit venture, the studio was established with the goal of giving Denver artists a place to record for nothing more than a donation. Although the project is 90 percent complete, another $2,500 is needed to finish construction. With that in mind,

To finish the project, the studio still needs a sheet of airport glass to keep sound from the train station from seeping in, as well as better lighting and some fixes to for the soundboard. Those who donate will get plenty in return, from free tracks to training classes at the studio, in a rewards program that is similar to that of a local NPR affiliate, with subscriptions, memberships and more. More importantly, the studio is hoping to help redefine what it means to go into the recording studio to begin with.

"Rather than ask bands to pay an hourly rate, we want something more like a community membership," says engineer and co-founder Brian Gerhard. "Community funding can insure bands will always have a place to record." The premise is that with funding from individuals and businesses (all tax write-offs), Audioloom can make it possible for bands not just to record their albums, but do it on good equipment, with better gear and even additional players at their disposal.

The studio has already filed all the necessary documents for non-profit status and as they wait for approval, they're trying to complete the construction process and start getting bands in as soon as possible. Audioloom, while new at this location, has been around in one shape or another for a few years, but this is the first attempt at going strictly non-profit.

"We're going to be there as engineers," says Gerhard. "It's not just an open studio; it's about giving bands a place to go and record with experienced people."

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